Beyond Friendship Gate

Day Dreams: No. 14 of 40 Forts

Day Dreams: No. 14 of 40 Forts

Something about this piece reminds me of a Barbie ski chalet from the seventies. Maybe it is the large stone fireplace and the hot pink husband pillow. Regardless, it also reminded me of how I procrastinate.

If I have been in a space before, I will recreate it in my head. For example, I have a plan on how I would totally renovate my Memaw’s old house, including a modern addition on the back side of the house. Will this ever happen? Not likely. But that doesn’t stop me. I go through room by room and map out how I would use each space.

She daydreamed about bright, cozy spaces where she could welcome her loved ones.

She daydreamed about bright, cozy spaces where she could welcome her loved ones.

The apartment next to ours in Chapel Hill is for sale. Although I have never been inside the apartment, I know that it is a mirror of our unit. I already have a really good idea of what the space would look like if we busted out the wall between us and had one massive apartment. Maybe I spent too much time in NYC, because I am pretty sure that is the only place people really daydream about taking over the neighboring unit. At least, according to 30 Rock. Plus, this way Lucy and I could still walk to the library — unlike if we adopted Henry’s domestic dream of living in a renovated farmhouse with an outdoor brick pizza oven.

top view of Day Dreams

Will my double-apartment daydream become a reality? Probably not. But it doesn’t hurt to map out my ideas on a sheet of paper. At least it helps free up my mind and brings me the back to the present reality of life in DC. To me, the Chapel Hill expansion plan sort of seemed like a reasonable way to get four bedrooms. (I really don’t like sending my family to stay in a hotel.) Until you start calculating the cost of construction. I didn’t waste my time.

This paper sculpture, roughly the size of a coffee cup, is one of forty forts I created during Lent 2010 as a creative exercise and spiritual exploration.